King 'open' to removing the word empire from honours
The Independent|November 04, 2024
The word empire” may be dropped from British honours as part of reforms reportedly being considered by royal officials.
REBECCA THOMAS
King 'open' to removing the word empire from honours

Under the plans, those with an OBE – Order of the British Empire – could choose to receive an Order of British Excellence, according to a new biography of the King by author Robert Hardman, which is being serialised by the Daily Mail.

A parallel Order of Elizabeth has also been proposed in remembrance of the late Queen. However, in both cases, the colonial-era titles could be retained for those who wanted them.

In the new biography of the King, a senior palace official is quoted saying: “Any change is a matter for the government, but I think that they would find that this place was pretty open to the idea.” Any alteration to the honours system would be down to Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

This story is from the November 04, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the November 04, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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